Committee backs hotlines and WhatsApp channels to curb illegal housing occupations

According to The Citizen, the portfolio committee on human settlements has urged the Department of Human Settlements to adopt improved preventive measures including hotlines and WhatsApp reporting channels to curb illegal occupation of housing opportunities.

Reporting channels to make it easier to flag illegal occupations

The Citizen reports the committee welcomed the establishment of reporting mechanisms such as hotlines and WhatsApp channels. The platforms are intended to facilitate seamless communication between communities and the department and to allow residents to report illegal occupations and related concerns quickly and at minimal cost, the article said.

Calls for public awareness and better coordination

The Citizen says the Department of Human Settlements was urged to undertake extensive public awareness campaigns so communities are fully informed about the new reporting channels and can make effective use of them.

Committee members also stressed the need for strengthened coordination among the department, municipalities and law enforcement agencies to ensure swift responses to incidents of illegal occupation and land invasion, The Citizen reports.

Electronic beneficiary system and legal measures

The Citizen reports the committee reiterated its call for the urgent development and implementation of an electronic beneficiary management system. In the article the committee said such a system would help ensure correct allocation of housing opportunities, reduce disputes and limit opportunities for manipulation.

The Citizen adds the committee urged the Department of Human Settlements to conclude consultations on the Prevention of Illegal Eviction from and Unlawful Occupation of Land (PIE) Amendment Bill, which seeks to introduce stricter measures against illegal land invasions and unlawful building occupations.

Dispute resolution and Rental Housing Tribunals

The Citizen reports the committee welcomed the functionality of Rental Housing Tribunals across all provinces. It also called for augmentation strategies in provinces experiencing high volumes of disputes and for adoption of dispute-resolution mechanisms to facilitate speedy settlement of matters.

What the committee says

“Such a system will help ensure that housing opportunities are allocated to the correct beneficiaries, reduce disputes, limit opportunities for manipulation and provide greater protection for legitimate beneficiaries,” the committee said, as reported by The Citizen.